Distraction and Inattention
in Driving
Driver Distraction Distraction occurs when the driver is
delayed in the recognition of the information necessary for controlling the vehicle bacuse of internal or external factors
When the driving task is not demanding, drivers seek stimulation
Sources of distraction Internal
Distraction is caused by directed attention the events or objects in the car
E.g., children, radio
External Distraction is caused by directed attention the
events or objects outside car E.g., Bill boards, pedestrians
Inattention Source of distraction is internal to the driver
E.g., Daydreaming, non-driving thoughts
Common sources of distraction
Use of cell phones has been increasing rapidly among the drivers A great source of distraction for drivers increase crash risk by
impairing visual performance increasing lane variability in lane position increasing mental load increasing reaction time decreasing attention to driving
Compared to hand-held phones, using hands-free phones does NOT decrease the demand on our limitted attention
Common sources of distraction
Music increased tempo of the music leads to faster driving
among drivers Roadside signs and billboards Eating and drinking
Very common In-vehicle technologies (e.g., navigation
systems) Especially the visually-based systems cause the
greatest distraction
Moderating factors Whether distraction influence driving
performance and safety depends on four main factors (Regan and Hallet, 2011): Driver characteristics (age, gender..) Driving task demand Competing task demand Ability of the driver to self-regulate
Countermeasures for driving distraction and inattention
Laws and regulations? Increasing awareness about the
problem
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